The Scottish government could soon put parents behind bars for not letting children change gender or behave as a member of the opposite sex.

Parents in Scotland who refuse to allow their children to change gender could soon face up to seven years in jail, under plans proposed by the Scottish government.

On Tuesday, a public consultation was launched on ending conversion practices, regarding both sexual orientation and gender identity. The proposed legislation includes a package of measures to criminalise parents who refuse to go along with their children’s wish not only to change gender but also to identify as a different gender – for example, preventing a child from dressing as a member of the opposite sex.

These LGBTQ+++ „activists” are infantilising LGBT adults, as they have decided that grown adults cannot exercise judgement or agency; thus deem that they cannot act with reason. Yet children in school can consent to be a different sex at school, and parents need not be informed. https://t.co/7OPM7jxtkB pic.twitter.com/XLvCt3hnxF

— Bruce Scott (@DrBruceScott) January 10, 2024

The proposals put forward by Equalities Minister Emma Roddick would criminalise parents’ coercive behaviour if they refuse to allow their children to change gender. What constitutes coercion is defined broadly in the plans, ranging from acts of assault, threats and intimidation to controlling the victim’s daily activities.

The draft legislation contains safeguards. If a parent can prove that they had reasonable ground for not letting their child change sex or engage in behaviour pointing toward sex change, they will not be put behind bars.

Critics argue the proposals would have a devastating impact on freedom of speech, privacy and family life in Scotland.

„We have grave concerns that these plans will criminalise loving parents, who could face years in jail simply for refusing to sign up to the gender ideology cult,”

Marion Calder, a director at the campaign group For Women Scotland, said. Such laws „will also hand activists and social workers unprecedented powers to meddle in family life, while having a chilling impact on therapists and counsellors,” she added.

Parents’ refusal to allow underage children to behave and dress in a way that reflects their sexual orientation or gender identity or to change gender is described as a form of violence by Greens politician Maggie Chapman.

Today is an important day for LGBT+ people in Scotland. Conversion practices are not therapy. They are abusive and coercive. They are a form of violence.

Unlike the UK government, we will fulfil our promises to the LGBT+ community and ban this abuse.https://t.co/acI0oY2lMj

— Maggie Chapman MSP (@MaggieChapman) January 9, 2024